


Balance

by imilliterate



Category: Naruto, Naruto (Anime) RPF
Genre: Denial of Feelings, Drabble, Hurt No Comfort, Idiots in Love, Izuna is dead, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Mutually Unrequited, One-Sided Attraction, Sickfic, Unbeta'd, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:20:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25665046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imilliterate/pseuds/imilliterate
Summary: Tobirama and Madara decide that they need eachother. Unfortunately, they don't know where they fit in eachother's lives.
Relationships: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara
Comments: 3
Kudos: 45





	Balance

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I'm posting a fanfic in 10 years (please go easy on me). This is a drabble I wrote to get a feel of writing (so it probably doesn't make much sense). No beta because I'd be really embarassed to have something like this proofread by a friend. I apologize for the horrible writing in advance. I hope it's readable. Please enjoy (if possible) :)
> 
> Edit: It is not readable because the paragraphs aren't working like they were supposed to. I've never posted on AO3 before.

He tightened his grip on the pen as it continued to shake. With a long and controlled sigh, he carefully put down the utensil and rested his sweaty forehead against his cool wooden desk. The heat was starting to become unbearable. The man’s slumped form perked up once again as he searched for a way to alleviate the discomfort. The shinobi standard black turtleneck had been a practical decision at that time, truly. It made sense. With so many different clans joining Konoha’s ranks, there had to be a practical….What was practical about this again? The uniform could easily roast a young shinobi for which the only practical idea would be to eat. Would a comrade taste better than chakra pills? What an illogical thought to have. Lightly moaning, he pulled at his collar again. Curiously, this action served no purpose other than to heat up the ailing man further. Deep within his own misery, the silver haired man not only failed to sense the visitor outside his door, but also managed to miss the light raps.  
“Senju. You in there?”  
Another set of knocks, and then there was silence. The person on the other side huffed, sounding impatient and slightly disgruntled.  
“Snowflake! Open the damn door. I know you’re in there!”  
Head feeling heavy, Tobirama dropped his head into his arms once again and mumbled something incoherent. A grunt could be heard before the man, probably Madara, began to wrestle with the door before finally busting it open and storming into the room. Such aggression was only permissible when harbored by one certain headache. A loud slap echoed through the room. Bleary red eyes looked up and watched one week worth of paperwork fly from the desk. The Senju shifted his gaze from the sad documents littered across the floor to engage with the Uchiha’s piecing black coals. His throat was truly sore. The albino truly didn’t want to speak. Speaking with Madara wasn’t just speaking. It was a verbal war. Or even worse, a long-term commitment. Swallowing thickly, the albino came to a decision.  
“Fix it.”  
The nuisance didn’t budge. Was he daft? Was his vision so obscured by his hair that he couldn’t see the mess he had created a moment prior? Tobirama only wished his loud and slightly obnoxious elder brother would save the day. If Hashirama showed up, it could only mean two things: he was either lonely, or he needed someone to resolve a problem he created. Seeing as Madara was currently in the room with him for what felt like a good hour or two, the younger Senju brother hoped Hashirama would materialize out of thin air, looking for company. Madara continued to glare at Tobirama, now having changed his posture to rest his hands on his hips. That was a nice waist. The weight of his hands allowed Tobirama to view the beauty of his muscular structure under the very modest and very Uchiha clothing. Why did Madara have such long hair? It was distracting. The Uchiha should’ve been sheared a long time ago. For safety reasons of course. As Tobirama’s sleepy eyes outlined the admirable form of the man standing right in front of his face, he shifted his attention to the scrolls and papers on the floor. Yet, he peeked once again at his brother’s beautiful best friend.  
“Did you not hear me?” The younger man rasped, trying his best to minimize his word usage while trying to deliver the message across.  
Madara leaned closer once again, intensely studying the pitiful creature before him.  
“That should be the least of your worries, princess.” Madara brought a hand up to his lips and bit his glove in order to remove it. He reached towards the ghostly looking man, as if to not alarm him with any sudden movements. A warm shallow breath touched over Madara’s fingertips and he began to show hesitation. Within a split second, what could be perceived as a worried expression was replaced with the normal facade of belligerence. He slapped the pile of documents he had originally brought to Tobirama, making the other jump in his seat. Shaken out of his borderline delirious, the silver-haired adult resumed his proper posture and rubbed his face with a sense of weariness.  
“I’ll hand it in before you leave.” He mumbled into his hands. Uchiha could never give him a break, could they? The true purpose of their clan had to be to create enough problems within the village so no one would dare look outside for another war. It made sense. Life needed balance. Madara was there to provide balance to his. He was feeling very tired. Resting his cheek against the palm of his hand, the tired man reached of his pen and looked up to reassure the troublesome Uchiha only to note that his ethereal beauty was missing from the Senju’s line of sight. Now why would Madara spend any amount of time longer than necessary with someone like Tobirama? As with the balance of life, Hashirama’s naturally warm nature was the perfect contrast to Tobirama’s cold heart. But Madara…? He just fit. It made sense. Tobirama continued to muse in his fevered haze, glossing over the papers but doing nothing more. Why couldn’t Madara be his counterpart? While the elder Senju acted as a calming agent, Tobirama liked to believe Madara’s relationship with him was much more...equal. They kept each other in check with their constant bickering. But that is what Tobirama liked to believe. The way dearest Madara’s face would light up in Hashirama’s company said it all. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Tobirama could never compliment the Uchiha’s burning passion with tenderness. Nor could the Uchiha compliment his icy depths with a light warmth. Tobirama looked over the documents for the sixth time. He sighed and closed his eyes. He was too distracted. A moment to clear his mind. That’s all the young man needed. Inhale. Exhale. A quick round of meditation to center him. That’s truly all he needed. His mind began to wander again to the papers on the floor as his breathing began to slow down and eventually even out.  
Ever since coming back to his office, Madara couldn’t stop pacing around. Was it bad to leave and someone to face their suffering alone? Especially if that someone had the workaholic status of Tobirama Senju? Of course not. Tobirama cared for important things such as building the Shinobi ranking system and the academy. He was very efficient in his ways and absolutely didn’t spare another thought to anything useless… Like his health. Madara paused in front of a wall and let his head fall forward, banging it but without much force. Of course that idiot didn’t care for his health. He probably had at least ten backups for when he dies and has to pass on his responsibilities. Fuming at the thought, the unsettled Uchiha resumed his walk. There was the option of going back to comfort his snowman but he instantly shot the idea down. Tobirama needed comfort. He needed someone like Hashirama. Hashirama was gentil, unlike Madara who was the very definition of brash. With red-rimmed eyes and a soft blush painted across his cheeks, Tobirama had looked delicate. Like something that could break. Like something Madara could break. Next time the hedgehog stopped, he was standing before the door. Running a hand through his hair, he let out a frustrated grunt. It was decided then. He would find his best friend about his younger brother’s predicament and then take over the rest of the paperwork so Hashirama could nurse his poor little Tobi back to health. A win for everyone. When Tobirama gets better, he can go back to doing most of the paperwork. Tobirama would be happy to get back to the obviously more important things in his life and Madara wouldn’t have to think about him. The Uchiha smirked to himself. Tobirama would be shocked to see he had a thought process. With destination set in mind, he stepped out of his small prison to find the ever elusive Hokage.  
Hashirama made many very questionable decisions in his life. Some might even take the many instances to build a case against the Hokage’s intellect and his ability to lead. Unfortunately for Madara, despite his crush’s brother’s never-ending string of stupid ideas and actions, the man was incredibly clever. Which meant he couldn’t be found when he didn’t want to be. Even while he was in the village. And by no means was Madara a bad sensor. Everyone who encountered the angry Uchiha was sure to immediately move out of his way for the safety of their health. Two hours. That’s how long it had been since he had left Tobirama alone in his office. This had set Madara on the edge as he stormed his way around the village once again, interrogating all those who were unfortunate enough to cross paths with this menace. He wasn’t worried about Tobirama. Why should he have regard for someone who didn’t have regard for themselves? No. He was worried about the paperwork he would have to fill due to Hashirama’s disappearance. All the hokage’s duties would fall to second in command. His right-hand man. His best friend. Puffing his cheeks, the disgruntled Uchiha made his way back to the Hokage tower to act on the next best course of action. If Hashirama was off shirking his duties, the only thing to be done was to make sure his younger brother would be alive enough to pick up on the slack.  
Tea. Sick people need tea. It is hot, sweet, and filled with caffeine. It could also help ease a sore throat. His voice had sounded rough earlier… It would be enough to get the younger and much more professional Senju back on his feet. Tobirama would respect this sentiment. Madara was sure of it. He dumped two spoonfuls of honey in the porcelain cup before stirring, not so much as to let all the heat escape but just enough to make sure the sweetner didn’t become a choking hazard. The Uchiha had a clear plan: he would leave the tea and then he would leave the room. It was simple in theory, but the Uchiha had a habit of overcomplicating things. Madara, being the face of the Uchiha, was exceptional in this regard. Reaching his snow angel’s private space, Madara knocked on the door to give an illusion of common decency before barging in anyway. The sight before the Clan head made all his features soften as he observed the young man sleeping. Madara set the cup at the edge of the desk and stared a while longer before he realized what he was doing. So what if he’s sleeping? Everyone sleeps. Even if this is probably the first time Tobi is sleeping ever in his life. Everyone sleeps...Some longer than others… Madara’s face began to sour. He turned to the door and almost shut it behind him, only looking back for a quick peep. That just meant he had to cherish the moments he had before-- Before. Ah. But Tobirama was never his to cherish. They weren’t meant for eachother and sometimes that’s how it was. Tobirama was the only one to fill the hole in his heart, but Madara could not offer what Tobirama needed. At least he was good to offer tea. With that final idea, Madara silently closed the door and soldered on.


End file.
